The *hunt* is on for my top dog!

I love Easter... Why? Because I get to play "dog mom" to my little one Poncho. I know I know, even though I am a positive reinforcement dog trainer here in Ventura at The Inquisitive Canine. I do know I'm an over-the-top dog mom too. Every Easter I like to set up a "kibble hunt" for Poncho in our back yard. This is actually something I often do for him as an "enrichment" activity. But it's special for me today because 1) it takes me back to my own childhood... 2) makes me feel part of the crowd with the rest of my friends that have *hunts* with their human kids...

This time I allowed him to watch me set up the hunt...a little different from years past. Why? Not sure...just felt like it. Anyway, I started out by leashing him to the bench in the yard - then walked around dropping and placing pieces of his kibble (and a few extra yummy treats) in various places in the entire backyard. Under plants, between rocks, behind furniture... He was going wild! Very excited throughout... Kept offering a sit and down stay for me (check out the picture). He has learned that these two behaviors get rewarded - a lot, so why not keep offering them... I love that he has figured out how to make the right choices... (something I teach in my dog training classes) Anyway, once I let him go Poncho was all over it! Kept him busy for quite awhile - tapping into that predatory drive, fulfilling those desires to hunt...plus kept him out of my hair long enough to have my own breakfast. He has to eat anyway, right? I just like to use his meals to my advantage while making it more fun for him...

This is an activity I recommend for my clients - you too can learn more about enrichment, and preventing the "boredom blues" in the classes I teach at my rockin' indoor dog training studio - The Inquisitive Canine...

Therapy dogs and reading...

Let's give a BIG shout-out to the Ventura County H.P. Wright Library! Why? Because of their "Paws for Reading" program. How wonderful it was to find out they offer such a delightful program to the children of our community - and to the many Canine Good Citizens and their humans too. Improving reading skills, as well as building self-confidence (for both the children and the dogs, right?) Plus, it's just downright fun!

For additional information on the library program, or to schedule an appointment contact Star Soto, Children's Librarian. For more information on how your dog can become a Canine Good Citizen you can contact me.

Dog Behavior: a realistic look

Poncho and I just got home from spending a nice romp on the baseball field. Before we walked around ourselves I spent a few minutes just watching the young kids with their parents playing catch, doing warm-up drills, and getting settled in before they started their game. I noticed there were some kids throwing the ball in every direction they could - even if no one in particular was there to catch it...just giggling and flailing about - having such a great time. Then there were the two boys that were rolling on the grass...down the hill, just rolling and rolling and rolling... I started giggling - remembering doing that as a child too, and having so much fun.

My question today is: how come all we expect from children is to laugh, play, enjoy themselves, not talk to strangers, and maybe say please and thank you? We don't ask them to problem solve every issue they may encounter or even leave it up to them to entertain themselves - unless we supply or arrange the activities. Why do I bring this up? Because it seems we expect differently from our domestic dogs, even though they are mentally equivalent to a two year old human.

So, what are we supposed to do? I say, treat them as dogs, while having expectations that would equate to what they're capable of doing, not what we wish they could do. If your dog has never learned to *retrieve*, then you can't expect to throw the ball fifty yards and have him or her go fetch and bring it back dropping at your feet on the first try. Maybe they will! If so, throw a party! If not, then teach your dog what you want in a way they would understand. Making it simple, like the kids learning T-Ball first, before moving up the difficulty ladder. Set them up for success! Otherwise you may be the one that gets frustrated.

Skills like this are discussed and taught in my own classes here at The Inquisitive Canine in Ventura. We talk about making training steps easier or more difficult for you and your dog. When you are learning something new, or when you're wanting to advance on the skills your dog already knows... It's lots of fun, but we still focus on realistic expectations. Makes for a much more fulfilling and rewarding time.

Positive Reinforcement and dog training - what is is?

The term "Positive Reinforcement" is such the "in thing" to say nowadays when it comes to training your pet dog - but what exactly does it mean? In a very small nutshell, it means adding something, or giving something, to an animal they find pleasant after a behavior is performed in order to increase the frequency of that behavior. For example: you ask your dog to sit, she does, you give her a cookie. With consistency, she will probably start offering this behavior (sitting) more frequently because of the pleasant outcome. As you can see, it is the consequences that drive the behavior.

So how can those folks who use squirt bottles when punishing their dogs, or jerking the collars, or rolling them onto their backs call themselves "positive reinforcement" trainers...? As far as I can tell by reading the dogs body language, being squirt, rolled over with force, or jerked and yelled at is not the most pleasant thing...and certainly doesn't tell the dog what you want.

My philosophy and methodology at the inquisitive canine is centered around positive reinforcement. Which means I like to motivate the dogs with anything and everything they find pleasant and rewarding... food, petting, praise, toys, belly rubs, tug of war, and all sort of other fun and games... Life is full of enough aversives...why add to it - especially when it distorts learning, yes?

I recommend everyone be inquisitive themselves when looking for a trainer - think about how well you would learn a new skill... being spoken to in a language you understand, being motivated by something you find to be pleasant...not afraid of. It's not just the words, but the actions of the trainer themselves.

Come check us out...sign up for one of our classes... you may be positively reinforced as well.